books!

Wondering if that book is going to be a good read? Are you willing to pay $16 to find out? Don't worry - you're at Goodwill and it's only $.99!

Similar to digging through the artwork you have to have patience and a willingness to paw through lots of crap in order to find your treasures.

I love to read. I read all genres of books. You would be surprised at the selection of titles and categories that will be found in the back corner of Goodwill. When you shop for bargain books you can buy them simply based on artwork or title. It doesn't matter if it turns out to be lousy. Just donate them back. If however, the book turns out to be fantastic pass it on to someone else. A thoughtful and inexpensive gift. Who doesn't like those?

Most recently I found a book called The Wild Flavor: Delictable wild foods to be found in the field & forest & cooked in country kitchens, By Marilyn Kluger. This is one of my all-time favorite topics; wild edible foods. Books on this subject are hard to find and are usually from the 70's and currently out of print. What a shame. Perhaps with the increasingly popular "eco-friendly, organic, and green" phase that the US is going through some of these books might see a comeback. I've read it cover to cover and thoroughly enjoyed her personal tales about hunting for edibles. I want to go on a morel mushroom hunt this spring.
Would I have paid full price? YES

Other recent titles:

Out of Africa - Isak Dinesen
A friend asked me to read this for a mini book club. I only spent one day and one goodwill before I found the title; luck was on my side. I'm about half way through and have just started to enjoy the style of writing.
Would I have paid full price? NO

America's Boy A Memoir- Wade Rouse
I didn't personally buy this book, but I know it came from Goodwill. I would have bought it purely for the cover. He's funny but not as funny as Augusten Burroughs. A super quick read; very enjoyable.
Would I have paid full price? NO

Children of Dune - Frank Herbert
3nd book in the original series. 'Effin Awesome! The original series was by far the best; I've read all 14. Love the old school cover on this one.
Would I have paid full price? YES

Sputnik Sweetheart - Haruki Murakami
I haven't started this yet. I'm certainly a fan of his writing; the cover is nice too.
Would I have paid full price? at a 50% off sale

Go get yourself a book

eight more weeks

My excitement is building - bulky item pickup is just a few months away! Are you ready? Do you have your plan of attack? I do.

Even though I don't really need any more stuff I can't help but get excited over the prospect of finding treasures in the trash. This year I'm going to keep my eyes open for requests by my friends. You would be surprised at how good I am at finding these.

Last year my sister-in-law-to-be asked me to keep my eyes open for a mid-century modern dresser. Preferably one that is low and long with simple lines. That very same day as I was driving around the Rosemont neighborhood I spied with my little eye the very thing she was looking for. At times like that I wish I owned a truck and not a 4-door sedan. I had to remove the legs and drawers from the dresser, stash them in the trunk and front seat, and then gently force the dresser body into the back seat. It just barely fit. I would have tied the doors shut if I had to. I drove straight over to my brother's house to deliver my treasure. It was exactly what they wanted; you'd never know it came out of the trash.

What are you going to be searching for?